James C. Adams II

Jimmy Adams is a versatile and seasoned litigator with more than 20 years of experience in arbitrations and federal and state courts. Jimmy represents clients on issues related to noncompetition agreements, health care, professional malpractice, and all types of corporate and commercial disputes.

Jimmy is an accomplished litigator who is very familiar with the process, strategy and custom at the trial and appellate levels. His goal is to “First, position clients to avoid litigation if possible, and then to maximize their chances for success when litigation arises.”

Jimmy represents large national enterprises, small local companies and individuals on a wide range of issues. He has extensive experience in cases involving post-employment disputes, including covenants not to compete; shareholder and closely-held company litigation; contract disputes; real estate development; accounting and professional malpractice; Certificate of Need (“CON”) applications and litigation; and other health care related issues. Jimmy also has experience in several litigation matters involving interest rate swaps, representing parties in disputes with large financial institutions.

Jimmy helps employers draft non-compete agreements that comply with the current law. He represents employers in enforcing their agreements with former employees, and also represents employees in disputes against former employers.

Jimmy represents health care providers in litigation involving Certificate of Need applications. Jimmy has represented providers both challenging and supporting decisions by the state, and has also represented providers in granting or denying requests to develop new healthcare facilities or provide new equipment or services.

Problems and Puzzles

When my daughter was young she would ask me, “Daddy, what do you do at your job?” I would answer her, “I help people solve their problems.” That’s what being a lawyer is to me, helping people solve their problems. Sometimes that means defending a lawsuit that’s been brought against them. Sometimes it means filing a lawsuit. Sometimes it means having a negotiation. Sometimes it means advising someone how to do something to avoid a lawsuit or dispute. And sometimes it includes several of these. I help people solve problems with former employees or former employers (non-compete agreement cases), problems with business partners (contract disputes or business torts), problems with competitors and regulators (healthcare and certificate of need cases), problems that arise in the performance of their profession (professional negligence cases), and many others.

My approach to solving legal problems is similar to solving a jigsaw puzzle. The first, and sometimes the hardest, part of problem solving is making sure you have all of the pieces. Once you have all of the pieces (or think you do) the next part is putting the pieces together to make the picture you want. As new pieces arrive or are found, they have to fit into the picture, or the picture has to change. In a dispute, your opponent is trying to use the same (or sometimes different) pieces to make a different picture. Once the picture is complete, you use it to convince your opponent they are wrong, or to convince a judge or jury you are right; or to negotiate a resolution. When you are trying to help someone to do something or to avoid a dispute, you use the picture to show the client what the end result may look like so they can decide if they like it.
The fascinating thing about being a lawyer is everyone’s picture is unique to them, and sometimes the same pieces make more than one picture. The skill, and challenge, is knowing what pieces to use and how to use them ... To solve the problem.

Recent Publications & Media

The North Carolina Supreme Court, in a long-awaited decision, reaffirmed the Court's historic view on the "blue-pencil" doctrine in North Carolina as it relates to non-competition agreements. In Beverage Systems Of The Carolinas, LLC v. Associated...(read more)

In North Carolina, an accounting firm now owes a fiduciary duty to its audit client, both as a matter of law and as a matter of fact. On November 4, 2014, a North Carolina appellate court held — for the first time — that an accounting firm has a...(read more)

Speaking Engagements

Jimmy Adams, a partner at Brooks Pierce, will speak at accounting firm Bernard Robinson & Company’s annual Continuing Professional Education Symposium in Greensboro on November 7. The presentation, titled, “Today’s Non-Compete Agreements and other Restrictive Covenants – What an Employee and...Read more

The Greensboro Bar Association and Greensboro Public Library will present "Legal Landmines of Social Media" on February 22, 2012 at 2:00 pm at the Central Library location at 219 North Church Street. Brooks Pierce lawyers Jimmy Adams, Bryan Starrett and Dorrian Horsey will be featured speakers...Read more

Recognitions

Brooks Pierce has been named a “Highly Recommended” law firm for general litigation and “...(read more)

Recent Publications & Media

The North Carolina Supreme Court, in a long-awaited decision, reaffirmed the Court's historic view on the "blue-pencil" doctrine in North Carolina as it relates to non-competition agreements. In Beverage Systems Of The Carolinas, LLC v. Associated...(read more)

In North Carolina, an accounting firm now owes a fiduciary duty to its audit client, both as a matter of law and as a matter of fact. On November 4, 2014, a North Carolina appellate court held — for the first time — that an accounting firm has a...(read more)

The North Carolina Bar Association's first statewide Public Service Day was held Friday, April 4, 2008. More than 700 lawyers volunteered to provide free legal information at eight call centers statewide. Brooks Pierce attorney Kearns Davis chaired...(read more)